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The AIH Transcript for June 25, 2025

For more episodes of this podcast, please click this link.

NIL KOKSAL: Hello, I'm Nil Köksal.

CHRIS HOWDEN: Good evening, I'm Chris Howden. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

CH: Tonight:

NK: Mending defences. At the NATO summit, the Prime Minister promises to spend a lot more on defence. The chair of a Canadian disarmament group says if the aim is to make the world safer, that move is way off target.

CH: Too hot to handle. A provincial parliamentarian tells us about her efforts to get the Ontario government to do more to address extreme heat in schools and other workplaces across the province.

NK: Unhappy anniversary. An activist in Kenya tells us she thought things would be peaceful today when protesters commemorated last year's deadly gathering, instead history repeated itself.

CH: Rebuilding blocks. People have started to return to Denare Beach, Saskatchewan after wildfires ripped through their village. One resident tells us going home isn't easy, but it's therapeutic all the same.

NK: Grandiose domestic product. We remember groundbreaking Quebecois musician Serge Fiori; whose band Harmonium changed the music scene in the province by paving the way for homegrown talent.

CH: And fast and loose. A poorly timed wardrobe malfunction leads to an unfortunate photo finish in which an American hurdler wins the race while trying, and failing, to keep his shorts in place. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that always double checks its equipment.

[Music: Theme]

Part 1: Defence Spending Critic, Kenya Protests, Lightning Grad, Serge Fiori Obit.

Defence Spending Critic

Guest: Cesar Jaramillo

CH: It's a level of military spending that most Canadians have not seen in their lifetime. Today, along with Canada's NATO allies, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a plan to increase defence spending to five per cent of annual GDP by 2035. 1.5 per cent of that will be spent in related areas like infrastructure and cybersecurity. That means that at its peak, the annual defence budget will increase to roughly 150 billion dollars.

SOUNDCLIP

MARK CARNEY: If we want the world of tomorrow to be shaped by our values, Canada must be ready. If we wanted a more secure world, we need a stronger Canada that works with our allies. And today is a very important step to build both.

CH: Mr. Carney says the move is essential to beef up the deterrence effect of NATO. It's also intended to make Canada and other countries less reliant on an increasingly unreliable United States government. Cesar Jaramillo is opposed to the increase in defence spending. He's the chair of the disarmament NGO, the Canadian Pugwash Group. We reached him in Waterloo, Ontario.

NK: Cesar, Prime Minister Carney also said today, acknowledged really, that down the road decisions will have to be made to cover the costs of this increase, big increase in defence spending. What do you think Canadians are going to need to be prepared to sacrifice if we do get to that level of defence spending by 2035?

CESAR JARAMILLO: I think that the central question that will be sacrificed is security and stability. Exactly the things that the Prime Minister and those among NATO who are looking to increase dramatically or at a faster pace the defence spending are promising, that is what's going to be sacrificed...

NK: What do you mean by that? What do you mean by that? What is the instability that will come if we use this money to fortify defence infrastructure or other sorts of things on that front? How will it be destabilizing?

CJ: Because it always has been. I mean, these rapid increases in military expenditures, history has shown time and again that whatever the promises of greater security and stability there may be, in fact, and there's empirical evidence to prove this, they generate more instability than stability. And the Cold War is a prime example for this. And of course, the world was at the brink as a result. Now, this increased military spending will predictably, predictably generate an arms-racing dynamic with others, with adversaries and will create on the whole the opposite of what has been promised, which is stability and security.

NK: NATO members have universally agreed that the threats around the world right now, particularly Russia, are the main reason why an increase in funding across the board like this is crucial. For Canada, the United States seems like a much less reliable ally, for other countries as well. So how should, in your view, countries such as ours stand up to the threats that are real without increasing defence spending?

CJ: Absolutely. And there is no question about how real the threat is, and there is, of course, no questioning the notions of preparedness or readiness or security. I mean, that is something I think we all can subscribe to. And I think that those are legitimate aspirations. In 2014, when Russia first took over Crimea, that was the initial push. Now we're talking of five per cent back then it was two per cent. And the arguments were very, very similar. And those warning against the perils of going that route, of militarizing the approaches to international stability were called naive and were told, no, this is exactly what needs to be done in order to prevent this from happening again. And you fast forward a little bit to 2022 and sure enough, it happened again [scoffs] Russia invaded Ukraine again. NATO could have spent already the five per cent, let's say twice that, 10 per cent. A ridiculous figure, I'd guess a million dollars, and still would be facing the same tough choices it is facing now in Ukraine, for example.

NK: So what would you like to see countries like Canada do instead?

CJ: I think Canada needs to take advantage of its privileged position as a member of NATO. I think membership, it means not just being a spectator, you know, including a spectator to the policymaking, or it does not mean no automatic acquiescence with everything that the United States under Donald Trump or whoever else says, but it means agency and having agency to reformulate the security conversations within NATO. To reinforce the rules-based international order, which has long been at least theoretically a central pillar of Canadian foreign policy, and to warn about the dangers of higher militarism and the predictable implications.

NK: When your closest neighbour and ally betrays, and that's a word that leaders in this country have used, that trust, and you know, openly and repeatedly talks about, you know adding you to the United States of America, the 51st state rhetoric we've heard, the tear of threats on top of that. Can you see why not just people in the military across Canada but Canadians more broadly, many of them feel that a beefed up military is, is a good idea at this moment in history?

CJ: Right. Yeah, but there's a paradox there. I mean, if it's a fear from the South, you know, from what used to be our very reliable and good friend, the United States, if it's fear from that, that is triggering this, but at the same time, it's been triggered by the pressures of this very same actor at the NATO level. You know, there is a bit of a paradox. We're doing it because of the United States and against, as a hedge against the United States. So it's a bit of a paradox. And on concrete terms, preparing militarily as a hedge against the United States is really... I mean, we don't have time to go out, you know, down that road of the many ways in which that is inconvenient. But the fact of the matter is that a casual person on the street, when they hear of this urgency of increased military spending, not to two per cent, then there was talk about three and four, now we're talking about five, they might feel, oh... We're lagging behind Russia, dramatically, NATO. But the fact of the matter is that NATO already is armed to the teeth. And this is not like speculative. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, you know, it's spending tenfold what Russia is spending. So this is a not a matter of being under militarized. This is year after year, more than one point trillion dollars. So this notion, I get why it's appealing, to the average person, to the public opinion, the sense of being prepared, and I agree with it fully, but the premise that we're somehow lagging behind Russia, by we, I mean NATO, lagging behind Russia or the fundamental premise that this will bring greater stability when it has not in the past, I think is tremendously flawed.

NK: Cesar, I appreciate this. Thank you for your time.

CJ: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

CH: Cesar Jaramillo is the chair of the disarmament NGO, the Canadian Pugwash Group. We reached him in Waterloo, Ontario.

[Funky instrumental]

Kenya Protests

Guest: Sophie Mugure Njehia

CH: At least 16 people are dead after protests in Kenya today, and according to the non-profit Amnesty Kenya, most of those people were killed by police. Thousands across the country took to the streets to commemorate the one-year anniversary of last year's deadly protests in which 60 people died demonstrating against a contentious tax plan. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and even live rounds, all of which protesters, many of whom are young people, frustrated with the government, are familiar with by this point. Sophie Mugure Njehia is a youth leader with the Revolutionary Gen-Z Movement and was out protesting today. We reached her in Nairobi, Kenya.

NK: Sophie, what was it like on the streets of Nairobi today? What did you see?

SOPHIE MUGURE NJEHIA: I saw a group of young people who are determined to not be cowed, to not to be censored. I saw group, a large group of young people kneel. I saw young group of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that their future is bright and to ensure our nation is properly governed.

NK: Sophie, we're seeing reports of the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, live rounds as well, and water cannon. Have you seen evidence of that up close?

SMN: Exactly. If you see my face right now, I have toothpaste on my face. Why? Because there was so much tear gas today in the air. I saw water cannons. In fact, the water was not even the normal colour of water. The water is pink in colour. I saw pink tear gas, black tear gas. We don't even know the effects of the chemicals that go into creating the pink, but we were clever. Several people have rubber bullets and live bullets inside of them, so today I thought in my head, in my naivety, I thought today would be such a peaceful day because we were just commemorating those who died last year but today just turned into a protest because the police could just not let us be.

NK: How did this year compare to last, the protests?

SMN: I think this year was better because we were a bit more organized in terms of how we mobilized ourselves. But last year was crazy because we had not anticipated for any death. Last year we were naive, Nil. This year we knew that we could die. Let me make you laugh. In Kenya there's a mortician who works in the city mortuary. Do you know, as of last night... Many people sent money to her [inaudible], and you know what they were telling her? In case I die and I come to your mortuary, put me in a section where there is Wi-Fi and a socket because I like good things... Like young people this year had already made peace with the fact that they're going on the streets and they might not come back home.

NK: That's a staggering thing you're saying on a number of levels. One, I mean, it's always remarkable in the most difficult times where people find humour and are able to make jokes, but also the fact that people were expecting something like this could happen and we're trying to prepare for it, young people in particular. What is driving them? Why are they and you willing to risk so much right now?

SMN: We're willing to risk a lot because this government has proven to us that they are not afraid of killing us. Killing us physically, and if they don't kill us physically then they kill our hope and they kill our dreams. So right now our biggest motivation Nil, is our lack of hope, is our disillusionment, is our lack of jobs, is the fact that our potential to be great is going down the drain. So, what we are really saying is we have nothing to lose. Our lives are really miserable. We are working dead individuals, yet the median age of Kenyans is 19. 19 is the median age of the population of Kenya. So, what are you doing to your biggest number of people in Kenya, you're killing them physically and emotionally and mentally. Things are not good here in Kenya, Nil.

NK: You mentioned that media was helping you. The government has ordered a shutdown of outlets today. They don't want coverage of the protests. What kind of impact do you think will that have on people across the country and their ability to see what you're trying to say?

SMN: The best part about the age we're living in Nil, is we really particularly do not need mainstream media to see what is happening. We have social media. And that is why the government is working day and night to get control of social media because we already know what is happening, even without the mainstream media.

NK: President Ruto yesterday was framing protesters as a threat to the country and said you should not intimidate police or threaten police. Last year, he apologized for the quote, "arrogance and show of opulence" by legislators and ministers from the ruling party and was promising action against what he described as rogue police officers. Has anything changed since then?

SMN: Absolutely not, in fact, things are getting worse. This month, in the beginning of this month, there was a guy who was called Albert who died in the custody of policemen. And the police have done everything they can to cover up that murder. And let me tell you, Nil, had we not gone to the streets on Monday of 11th of June, they would have covered up that death. The president, he behaves like a narcissist. You do something wrong, you apologize, and then you forget that you apologize for doing something wrong. And you do something wrong again, the same thing, but this time around you raise the bar. So you kill people on the streets and you cover it up. Then now people are dying in police custody. So Nil, things are not getting any better. In fact, things are getting worse.

NK: Sophie, I appreciate your time. Thank you. Please take care.

SMN: Thank you, Nil.

CH: Sophie Mugure Njehia is a youth leader with the Revolutionary Gen-Z Movement. We reached her in Nairobi, Kenya.

[Chimes and guitar instrumental]

Lightning Grad

CH: For parents, prepping for graduation ceremonies can be stressful. You have to consider seat selection, camera angles, overwhelming emotions, and as if that's not enough, now you have to worry about freak weather. Yesterday evening, during a graduation at London South Collegiate Institute in London, Ontario, the school's chimney was struck by lightning. Nathan Klepeckas was there attending his daughter's grade eight graduation. He told the CBC what the strike was like from inside the building.

SOUNDCLIP

NATHAN KLEPECKAS: Well, so inside when it happened, the ceremony had just started as planned. The kids had entered the auditorium, and the MCs had just started with their program. And then you could kind of tell it was raining outside. And then all of a sudden, you heard this huge thunder clap that you knew was incredibly close and or hit the building. I turned to my wife at the time and said, I think we may have just been struck by lightning. And then shortly after that, that's when the alarms went off and we all had to evacuate outside.

DAVID COMMON: And was at the end of it?

NATHAN KLEPECKAS: Uh, no, well, um, we, it was quite stormy at the time. So, uh, the South High School is lucky enough to have like a parking garage at the back. So, everyone kind of congregated there to try and stay somewhat dry from the, the rain and wind and everything, cause everyone was all dressed up in their nice clothing and everything, and then at that point, uh after the firemen had come, uh firefighters, sorry, had come and, they let us back into the building cause the alarms had stopped. Then the alarms went off again. And at that point we realized that it's going to be a little bit longer than just a quick fix and then they conveyed to us that the building structure had been compromised with the strike so it wasn't safe to continue the ceremony there. So then we left that school and we ended up going to another school across town where their graduation ceremony continued.

DAVID COMMON: Oh my goodness, so now your daughter, Sydney, has officially graduated.

NATHAN KLEPECKAS: Yes she has, yes, it's a memorable one for sure.

CH: Nathan Klepeckas speaking with David Common, host of Metro Morning, today.

[Funky instrumental]

Serge Fiori Obit.

Guest: Terry DiMonte

CH: In an interview about 10 years ago, Serge Fiori complained about the way people don't connect with music nowadays. He said, "way back when I used to buy a record, sit down, open a bottle of wine, stick my head between the speakers and groove". That won't surprise anyone who knows Mr. Fiori's work as the founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Montreal based band Harmonium. He revolutionized the Quebec music scene beginning in the early seventies, blending folk, prog-rock pomp and poetic lyrics. After the band's final album in 1979, he went on to work as a solo artist and collaborate with the likes of Nanette Workman and Diane Dufresne. Serge Fiori died yesterday at the age of 73. His passing has been marked by musicians, fans, and politicians alike in Quebec. Today, Premier Legault offered a full national funeral for Mr. Fiori, if his family so wishes. Terry DiMonte was a long-time DJ on Montreal's CHOM-FM. We reached him at his home in Sainte-Adèle, Quebec.

NK: Terry, you certainly have been embedded in and very much a part of Quebec's culture, the music scene for decades now. So, I wonder what you're hearing from your colleagues and old friends about Serge Fiori's passing.

TERRY DIMONTE: Well, obviously there's a real, real sadness. You know, people who were close to him knew that he was battling some health issues, but by and large, the public at large didn't know how ill Serge was, and I include myself in that group. So we're dealing with the shock. It's hard to believe he's gone. It's a palpable sadness.

NK: And Terry, the fact that Premier Legault is offering this full national funeral, that says a lot about Serge Fiori's importance and the connection people feel with him in Quebec.

TD: Yeah, it sure does, Nil. I think it's a great example of, a great example for people who may not be familiar across the country with Serge's impact on the culture in the province of Quebec. You know, there are lots of people I do know who are listening to this across the county who are quite familiar with Harmonium, but for people not familiar with Serge Fiori and his history, that does give you an idea of the impact he had on popular culture and generations of music fans here in Québec that the Premier would offer up what they call a national funeral here.

NK: How would you describe him as a lyricist?

TD: He's a poet. Serge was a poet, and he really, it was almost like his muse was his guitar. He once explained to me in an interview that he never played the guitar until the guitar called him over. And he said he would pick up the guitar and play it for six, seven, eight days and melodies would come and lyrics would follow. And then as quickly is that magic got turned on, it got turned off, and he put the guitar down. His commentary on life and Quebec society and moments in time were just really, really special. So I think poet is an overused but perfect word for Serge.

NK: How did you go from being someone who appreciated and understood that poetry and that music to then becoming friends?

TD: Well, I was very lucky, Nil. I grew up listening to, you know, the station in Montreal, the station I grew listening to CHOM-FM, I ended up working at and ended up being the morning man there for almost 30 years. And there was a point a number of years ago where Serge had been quiet for a very long time and was releasing a solo album that was the first of, you know, first solo album he had released and I think 20 plus years and of course there was a lot of chatter about it and I put my name forward and asked his people if it was possible that we could do an interview and you know management granted my request and said I could interview him and I got prepared for him to come to the radio station and instead I was invited to his house in Longueuil. And invited upstairs to his kitchen where I was told I'd have 45 minutes to an hour and three hours later I finally said to him, je pense que c'est assez, Serge, [I think that's enough, Serge] I've taken up a lot of your time and we laughed and just, you know, you'll know this Nil from doing interviews, sometimes you make a connection with somebody and I did that day. And Serge and I became you know I wouldn't call us close friends but certainly acquaintances and it was really a treasure for me because I went from you know the kid listening to the album with my headphones on to the you know, the guy who could have dinner or exchange an afternoon with Serge it was really quite special.

NK: It does sound like that. Terry, you have a photograph that you've said really sums up that relationship that you did have and the kind of person that Serge was beyond the musician and the onstage personality. Can you tell us about it?

TD: Yeah, it actually is from that day that I just described Nil, and I wish I could remember what he said, but someone snapped the picture right after he said something again to me that made me belly laugh, and my head is tilted back, and my mouth is wide open, and I'm having a deep belly laugh. And it's a moment that's special to me because it reminds me of what Serge was like and how wonderful he was to be with.

NK: What a beautiful memory to have with you all these years later, Terry. Before we let you go, we are going to play "Pour Un Instant" for our listeners, the Harmonium song, of course, [TD: Yeah] as we wrap up our conversation. Just describe a bit of the significance of that song.

TD: Well, this song was the first song that I think introduced English audiences to Harmonium. And as you guys play this, I'm sure there are people across the country who used to live in Quebec who will lean over and turn up the radio, this is going to make them smile. This is a very, very special, special song for Quebecers and Canadians across the country.

NK: Terry, it's been a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you for this.

TD: Thank you, Nil.

[Music: Pour Un Instant by Harmonium]

CH: "Pour Un Instant" by Harmonium, before that Nil spoke to Terry DiMonte, a podcaster and former host on Montreal's CHOM-FM. We reached him in Sainte-Adèle, Quebec.

[Calm instrumental]

Part 2: Heat Stress Act, Mini Update: Mamdani Primary, Sound of the Day: Steelpan Player, Denare Beach Returns, Shorts Runner

Heat Stress Act

Guest: Chandra Pasma

CH: Today, across much of the country, it is still very, even dangerously, hot. As we told you yesterday, that has parents concerned about what their kids might be enduring inside un-air conditioned classrooms as the school year winds down.

SOUNDCLIP

ALEXANDRA MULLINS: As they were saying, you know, the point where you need to go to the hospital is if he's unable to keep fluids down and if he starts to vomit, and as they were saying that, he was starting to vomit.

NK: Oh, no.

ALEXANDRA MULLINS: The nurse at that point said, yeah, no, now you actually need to go into an urgent care.

CH: Ottawa mother Alexandra Mullins telling Nil about her experience of taking her five-year-old to the ER after he suffered heat exhaustion in school. That's worrying for parents and a lot of workers are worried too, including the teachers who work in those sweltering facilities. So in Ontario, some provincial parliamentarians are arguing that the government should do more to help. Chandra Pasma is the NDP's shadow critic for education and the co-sponsor of a bill that would establish a heat protection standard for workers in the province. She's also the author of an open letter to Ontario's Education Minister, Paul Calandra, calling for more investment in heat mitigating adaptations in schools. We reached her in Ottawa.

NK: Chandra Pasma, let's start with your letter to the Education Minister. What specifically would you like to see Paul Calandra do to address high temperatures in schools.

CHANDRA PASMA: We'd like to see a heat strategy in place, so definitely doing every measure we can to address the levels of heat in the school buildings and in the schoolyard for our children, and to protect the teachers and education workers and administrators who work in those buildings as well. And there's a whole range of measures that we can implement. Some of them would take a little bit longer, like installing air conditioners in schools where we can, and some of them could be done relatively quickly, like developing cool roofs and providing shade structures on playgrounds.

NK: We reached out to the minister's office and it responded with a statement that points to the existing 30 billion dollar investment to support school construction, improvements and renewal over the next decade. How much more money is needed?

CP: Well, that 30 billion dollars over the next decade is going towards school construction. And when schools are being built, nowadays they generally include air conditioning. But we have hundreds of school buildings across the province that do not have air conditioning or have one air conditioned room. So that is certainly not actually addressing the challenge that we are facing now. And we're seeing that the number of hot days within the school year is really accelerating.

NK: The province is saying that there's renewal and improvement built into that 30 billion dollar investment. Do you think that it will go to where it's most needed?

CP: No because... Well it will go to where it's most needed but it's not going to go to address heat because we have a repair backlog of over 17 billion dollars in the province and that includes things like crumbling ceilings, flooded hallways, black mould all of those are also incredibly urgent safety issues they absolutely need to be addressed the government is giving 1.4 billion dollars a year. In funding to address those challenges, which is why we keep seeing that repair backlog accumulate. So, to say that that money is now also supposed to go to addressing the challenges of temperatures in schools is ridiculous.

NK: How should Ontario pay for the kinds of fixes that are necessary?

CP: We're paying for it either way, right? When children are going to the ER because they have heat exhaustion from school, when children and adults are developing chronic illnesses from heat exposure in school, that kind of medical care is incredibly costly. We have a choice in how we are going to pay for these things, and I would rather see us focus on prevention. Kids cannot learn if it is really hot in school. So, this government frequently says they're focused on back to the basics. They want kids learning, reading, math, writing, STEM. We know that what will work is actually fixing the conditions in which kids will learn. And so, if the government really wants to do those things, then we should address those factors.

NK: Ontario's Health Minister Sylvia Jones was asked about this very issue earlier this week at a press conference. We'll play for you and our listeners a little bit of what she told journalists there.

SOUNDCLIP

SYLVIA JONES: The Toronto District School Board and others across Ontario have put plans in place to make sure that, for example, their students are not out in the heat in the high, high heat parts of the day. They are making sure that they're modifying their classrooms and where those classrooms are located while the heat wave continues, and I will leave it to the school boards to make sure that they put the pieces in place to keep their students protected because each school is different and unique.

NK: How does that response sit with you, Chandra?

CP: The temperatures in school buildings are often just as high if not higher than the temperatures outside and so simply saying that school boards are being advised not to let kids go outside is not enough to protect kids against high heat and the minister is right that not every school, not every board needs the same thing but that's why we are calling for the Minister of Education to develop a strategy.

NK: You're also one of four members of, NDP members of Provincial Parliament endorsing proposed legislation, the Heat Stress Act, which would establish a heat protection standard for workers and workplaces that includes teachers and schools across Ontario. What would that act look like in practice?

CP: So, the Heat Stress Act calls for the Minister of Labour to develop a worker heat protection standard. And again, this would be a series of actions that begins with the employer needing to do an assessment to understand what are the risks for extreme heat in the workplace and prioritizes prevention. So, where can the employer actually remove those sources of heat? So for instance, air conditioning where possible. Recognizing that if the worker is outdoors or in a steel mill, for instance, you can't remove the source of heat. So then you're going to move to rest and hydration and potentially shutting down work that will actually protect the worker's health. And schools are the workplace for teachers and education workers and administrators. So if this bill is adopted, that is a huge step towards addressing those temperatures within schools.

NK: The bill itself is still waiting the next big step, a second reading, it won't get that until at least October, and then we'll see if it passes after that. So, what is your message to people across Ontario who are worried and feel things are not moving as quickly as they should?

CP: Well, it's disappointing that Doug Ford cancelled the first six weeks of the legislative session and now we are not coming back until the end of October when we do have urgent issues to deal with like these extreme temperatures. But the government doesn't need to wait until October 20th to act. There are things that the government could announce today. And so I think people who are deeply concerned about this issue should be reaching out to the Premier, to the Minister of Education and to the Minister of Labour to demand that they take these actions now and that they don't wait.

NK: Chandra, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

CP: Thank you.

CH: Chandra Pasma is the Ontario NDP's shadow critic for education. We reached her in Ottawa.

[Upbeat instrumental]

Mini Update: Mamdani Primary

CH: Just about a week ago, polls showed Zohran Mamdani trailing front-runner Andrew Cuomo by 10 points for the Democratic primary to determine the party's candidate for mayor of New York City. And that gap narrowed over the ensuing days, but even last night, when Nil spoke to a Democratic strategist, he said the race was a toss-up that Cuomo would likely win. The vote had been framed by many as something of a referendum on the future of the Democratic party with former governor Cuomo representing the centrist old guard. And 33-year-old Mr. Mamdani is a challenger from the party's left flank. And last night, Zohran Mamdani prevailed. Here's part of his speech to supporters.

SOUNDCLIP

ZOHRAN MAMDANI: My friends, we have done it. [loud cheering] I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City. [more loud cheering] We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford. [loud cheering] A city where they can do more than just struggle. And it's where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump's fascism. [loud cheering] A life of dignity should not be reserved for a fortunate few. [loud cheering] We can be free, and we can be fed. [more loud cheering] We can demand what we deserve. [loud cheering] And every New Yorker who sees solutions to the daily challenges they face, that is faith renewed. Together, New York, we have renewed our democracy. We have given our city permission to believe again. And I pledge to you that we will remake this great city, not in my image, but in the image of every New Yorker who has only known struggle. In our New York, the power belongs to the people. [loud cheering].

CH: Newly-selected Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, speaking on a rooftop in Queens, New York, last night.

[techno drums instrumental]

Sound of the Day: Steelpan Player

CH: When he was asked how he planned to play the steelpan for 30 hours, Joshua Regrello gave an answer that combined the sacred and the earthly. He said, quote, "prayers and pampers", unquote. And that approach must have worked because the 28-year-old Trinidad and Tobago man just broke the Guinness World Record for the longest performance on that instrument, 31 hours. Mr. Regrello says he didn't choose the steelpan, it chose him, and his country's national instrument shows him when he was just five years old, at which time, he was often hanging out while his father rehearsed on the instrument. He told Guinness he was honoured to bring attention to the steelpan because of its deep ties to the island's history of struggle and resistance. Mr. Regrello started playing around 6:00 a.m. and concluded at 1:00 p.m. the following day. He played more than a hundred songs and took a grand total of 30 minutes in breaks even though he was allowed a five minute pause every hour. Here is a tiny fraction of that 31 hour performance.

[Music: Joshua Regrello playing the steelpan]

CH: It goes on like that... A bit of Joshua Regrello's record-breaking 31-hour steelpan performance. Our sound of the day.

[Calm instrumental]

Denare Beach Returns

Guest: Alannah Skot

CH: After a long, dispiriting start to the wildfire season in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, evacuees from both provinces are starting to go home. This week, Manitoba lifted its province-wide state of emergency, which had been in place for just short of a month. Today the city of Flin Flon, which has been evacuated, reopened in full. And across the border in Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, an evacuation notice was officially lifted today, following a partial reopening of the village over the weekend. Alannah Skot lost her home in Denare Beach. She returned over the weekend to tend to her business, a resort lodge, and that's where we reached her.

NK: Alannah, what does it feel like today in Denare Beach?

ALANNAH SKOT: Well, personally, it's a little bit overwhelming, just trying to get caught up on everything. And I mean, I want to go pick through my belongings in the house that burnt down that I was living in. But I also have so much to catch up on at my lodge to get ready to welcome people back. With the roadblock being lifted, there's a lot more traffic out here today. So, I'm not going to lie, that's a little disappointing because it would be nice to have a little bit more privacy while families continue to come back, since a lot of the Saskatchewan residents were on the Manitoba side and they couldn't get back until today. Overall...

NK: What is that traffic from? Who else is coming?

AS: Well, with... Denare Beach did have a roadblock, so it was only residents allowed the last few days, but now anyone from Creighton, Flin Flon, or anywhere can come in. There's no more roadblock.

NK: Have you been able to speak with anyone else who's coming back for the first time today? You've been there a couple of days now, but for others, I wonder what they're telling you?

AS: I haven't spoken directly to anyone today, but over the past few days I have spoken and a lot of people are feeling a lot relief from like just getting closure and actually seeing the property. Most of us had like three weeks to process it. I think we all thought we'd be a lot more emotional when we came back, but from those I talked to it was just like, okay, this is it. How do we move forward? Um, there is still a lot of anger with the lack of acknowledgement that there's maybe some failure to prevent the fire. So, we're... while we're happy to be home and looking forward there is still a lot of bitterness in the community.

NK: 218 homes were destroyed in Denare Beach, as I understand it, that description you gave of, you know, at least coming back and feeling some closure, as difficult as it is, was that the reality for you? What was the overarching emotion when you saw things for the first time again?

AS: I was shocked at how hot the fire was. It was definitely eerie pulling into town and being able to see the lake where, the thought never even crossed my mind that that was a possibility from some locations. It was bittersweet trying to understand how the fire jumped like, or how the veins maybe came across because the one end of town that has like the primary burn, it is gone, it's devastated. There's like a house standing here and then a shop standing there. But then over where my house was is at the total opposite end of town where four houses are missing now and one cabin across the lake. And it was like, why? Like, how did that reach over there? But I mean, the firestorm was just so big that it created its own weather. So I don't know if it pushed over, if it was another vein that came from that direction or... But it's eerie because I'm working at my lodge, and it's all green, and you cannot even tell there's a fire here, and I expect to just drive around the corner and see my house and it is not there.

NK: I'm so sorry, Alannah. As you stay at the lodge, it is your place of business, but also your home now inside as you go through all the preps. What is that like?

AS: Um, I just try and take extra care and making sure it's going to be super comfortable for any residents coming just cause I know how I feel, uh, feeling displaced, so try and maybe just put the extra touches in to, uh make sure it's more comfortable, I guess. I don't know. And like just even, just trying to mow the lawns like to make it seem more welcoming and clean and fresh. And there's just a lot going on.

NK: Are there others staying with you there at this point?

AS: Um, yes, I've had a few families, uh, check in, and then I get more tonight. Now that the Flin Flon barricade is open.

NK: I'm just trying to imagine all those folks gathering, you're all in a very similar and very difficult situation.

AS: Yeah, I mean, to me personally, I'm happier being back because people understand what I'm going through. We can understand each other, we can be angry together, we could be happy together. When I was down and evacuated in Saskatoon, I really, like, it was very frustrating when people, they'd ask where you're from, and you would say, Denare Beach, and they wouldn't even have a clue what that was, like... With news coverage not being able to be pushed on social media anymore, lots of people don't get the news, and they don't have a clue, and any news they did hear is about Flin Flon, which didn't lose any structures, thankfully, but like, yeah, like a whole community is gone, and why is it not being talked about?

NK: We've had a few conversations with folks from Denare Beach on the firefighting front as well as others who've lost their homes. It seems like a very tight-knit and close community so; I hear what you're saying about at least being back together. What about rebuilding and a sense of normalcy? How long do you imagine that might take?

AS: Oh, we're hoping it doesn't take long, but with environmental, like they can't, we can't even start cleaning up our properties until environmental comes. And it really needs to be pushed because we have a limited summer to get cleaned up and get foundations poured.

NK: What would that mean financially for business owners like yourself?

AS: For me, I'm hoping I'll get contractors staying with me. That is primarily why I have kept it as nightly accommodations and not month-to-month rentals. So, I mean, for me that's okay. My other business, I am not too sure, it's really up in the air if it'll be busy or not because it is heavily reliant on tourism and people being able to go out fishing. So, some people think I might be busy, some not. So like that business might be, might have a tough go.

NK: Why do you think if it is being overlooked, Denare Beach, why do you think that is?

AS: I don't know. I don't know if it's just because Flin Flon is a bigger name and that's what people know. But like, I personally don't why, like, are we not a big enough resort community? Are we not as fancy as Candle Lake? Are we not as big a name as La Ronge? Like, I, I really don't know.

NK: Well Alannah, I hope you get answers soon. I appreciate this. Thank you.

AS: Yeah. You're welcome.

CH: Alannah Skot lives in Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, where she runs the Overland Resort. That's where we reached her. We contacted Saskatchewan’s public safety agency for comment on the wildfire response in Denare Beach, but we didn't hear back by airtime.

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Shorts Runner

CH: Any athlete knows that when you compete, you go all out. And if certain parts of your body happen to go all out while you're going all out, you have to keep going. No one has illustrated that inspiring approach more clearly than American hurdler, Chris Robinson. At a race yesterday in the Czech Republic, Mr. Robinson suffered a wardrobe malfunction during which his shorts were simply unable to contain him. His is of course not the founding member of this particular club, but the shifting of his gear, did not cause him to shift gears. He just kept going all out. Here's what that sounded like.

SOUNDCLIP

FEMALE COMMENTATOR: Could be a rise first there for Chris Robinson at the United States. He's up on Seamus Derbyshire already. Chris Robinson absolutely flying down the back straight, just stopping to adjust his shorts halfway through the race. And Chris Robinson strides into that hurdle. What concentration to keep himself going here. Chris Robinson with just a few flights left to go. He does have a lead by quite some margin over the other athletes. Chris Robinson stumbles there on the penultimate hurdle. He's got one more to go and Matthias Lima is coming as well. Lima hits the hurdle on the final barrier as well, but it's going to be a win for Chris Robinson of the United States. 48.1 just gets the win.

MALE COMMENTATOR: Congratulations to Chris Robinson for battling a problem that does emerge occasionally. Various parts of their equipment failure can make it very, very awkward. But that was a stunning effort to stay out in front. Very nearly a personal best. With those adjustments going on, constant manhandling going on with the left hand. But boy, he just stayed in front!

CH: Couple of surprised commentators calling American hurdler, Chris Robinson's win in the Czech Republic yesterday in a race that proved he's the total package.

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CH: You've been listening to As It Happens on the CBC Listen App. Our show can be heard Monday to Friday on CBC Radio One after Your World Tonight.

NK: And you can always read more about the stories and conversations we feature on As It Happens on our website, cbc.ca/aih. I'm Nil Köksal.

CH: And I'm Chris Howden.

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The AIH Transcript For June 25, 2025

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